1689 London Baptist Confession Chapter 1 Part 8-10: The Use of Scripture
OUTLINE Translation Interpretation Arbitration INTRODUCTION Roman Catholicism hated John Wycliffe translating the Bible into the common language of English. The Roman Catholic system was built on the idiosyncrasies of Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation. For example, what we know as the word ‘justified’ which means to legally declare one righteous implying a new legal status was translated into the Latin as ‘make righteous’ not ‘declare righteous.’ Wycliffe’s English Bible cut the throat of Rome’s hold on the common mind by his translation. He translated the word ‘presbuteros’ as elder not priest highlighting that there is no NT warrant for a...
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Chapter 1 Part 7-8: The Clarity and Reliability of Scripture
OUTLINE Clarity Reliability INTRODUCTION How many of you have heard of The Old Deluder Satan Act of 1647? ‘Massachusetts passed the Old Deluder Satan Act in 1647, laying the basis for public schools in America. The Puritans valued literacy highly; they believed all individuals should be able to read and interpret the Bible for themselves. In 1642 Massachusetts had required parents to ensure their children’s ability to read, and five years later, in this act, the state mandated community schooling.’ 1 This Act was made law in order to prevent satan from deceiving young people. This conviction that the...
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Chapter 1 Part 6 The Sufficiency of Scripture
OUTLINE Completeness of scripture Cessation of scripture Illumination of scripture Principles of scripture INTRODUCTION A challenge that every Christian faces is the question whether the bible is enough. In every age there is a challenge to the sufficiency of scripture. The Bible and … was a challenge that was faced at the time of the Reformation. On the one hand you had the Roman Catholic Church saying that the Bible and Tradition was necessary for the Christian; from another side you had the Anabaptist accusing the Reformers of having a dead letter, they were encouraging mystical experiences, prophecies, visions...
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Ch. 1 Para. 1. The Necessity of Scripture
OUTLINE The insufficiency of general revelation The necessity of special revelation The consequent necessity of inscripturated revelation INTRODUCTION Why do we need a Bible? At the time of the Reformation not everyone believed that we needed a Bible. On the one hand you had the Anabaptists who believed in the ongoing gift of prophecy and saw themselves not needing a Bible. On the other hand was the Roman Catholic Church which was happy to keep the Bible in Latin even killing those who would dare translate it and put it into the hands of the common people. This sentiment...
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2 Timothy 3:14-17: Continuing in the Truth
For our new year’s meditation I want to direct you to 2 Timothy 3:14-17. Firstly appreciate the context: Paul warns Timothy about a massive turning away from the truth, v1-7, But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among...
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